The Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ) continues to serve as a vital venue where both the public and private sides of a motoring issue may interact constructively.
At the recently held SPMJ Butch Gamboa Memorial Forum held last April 17 at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), LTFRB Chairman, Teofilo Guadiz III, assured that traditional jeepneys of operators who joined the franchise consolidation may continue to ply their routes.
After the April 30 deadline, franchises of operators who have not signed up for consolidation will be revoked and their units will be deemed colorum, regardless if they are modern or traditional, according to the LTFRB chairman.
Along routes that are anticipated to experience a shortage of jeepneys after the deadline, the LTFRB will issue a circular giving special permits to jeepneys from neighboring routes to temporarily serve the affected ones. The circular is expected to be released soon.
DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure, Andy Ortega, emphasized that the consolidation of individual franchises into cooperatives or corporations is a major step to push through the modernization, alongside the many components of the Public Transport Modernization Program.
LTFRB Board Member, Atty. Mercy Jane Leynes, who was also present at the forum, explained that the replacement of traditional jeepneys with DOST PNS-compliant jeepney units will not happen immediately. Another component of PTMP, the Route Rationalization Plan that will come from the local government units, will be needed to determine the appropriate number of modern jeepneys needed in a particular route.
Ramil Urrera of the Office of Transport Cooperatives added that as a result of the revocation of franchises of operators not participating in the consolidation, drivers serving these operators could lose their income. However, these drivers will be most welcome to drive for operators who have joined the consolidation. Consolidated transport operatives and corporations, due to their more efficient operations, are able to service their routes for longer hours and thus need more jeepney drivers to optimize their operations, according to Urrera
The consolidation of franchises was supposed to have ended in January 2024. But noting the requests of certain sectoral groups, President BBM extended the deadline for another 3 months until April 30. The President has already announced that there will be no further extension after April 30.
The ongoing Motorcycle Taxi Pilot Study was also discussed in the SPMJ Butch Gamboa Memorial Forum.
Atty. Paul Vincent Austria of the MC Taxi Technical Working Group announced that the committee is winding up its study and is scheduled to report its findings to Congress on May 31.
Atty. Austria disclosed that, as part of the pilot study, there are presently 45,000 motorcycle taxi riders registered in Metro Manila. Another 9,000 motorcycle taxi riders are in Cebu, plus another 9,000 in Cagayan de Oro. Earlier this year, the TWG expanded the pilot study by allowing four new groups to field an additional 8,000 motorcycle taxi riders.
On the possibility of terminating the operations of motorcycle taxis after the submission of the Pilot Study Report, the TWG headed by LTFRB Chairman, Guadiz, will propose that Congress allow the continued operation of approved participants until a law governing motorcycle taxis is enacted. Stopping their operations will grossly affect the livelihood of the thousands of motorcycle taxi riders who participated in the study, according to Chairman Guadiz.
Furthermore, the TWG will include in its report to Congress its recommendation to legalize the use of motorcycles as a mode of public transportation. According to Atty. Austria, the committee found the motorcycle taxi a viable livelihood for motorcycle riders, with a full-time rider earning between P30,000 to P40,000 a month.